


Outlines

by okaybutcoffeefirst



Category: British Actor RPF, Richard Armitage - Fandom, Richard Armitage RPF, The Hobbit RPF
Genre: Age Difference, Casual swearing, Eventual Sex, F/M, First time writing so be gentle, Fluffy nonsense at times, alters hobbit movies to squish in my character, if Peter Jackson can make up characters so can I
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-17
Updated: 2015-11-17
Packaged: 2018-03-18 08:25:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3562889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/okaybutcoffeefirst/pseuds/okaybutcoffeefirst
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Malory just can't catch a break, and she's starting to feel like nothing is ever going to change. So when a phone calls offers to change that she jumps at the chance. Things end up more complicated than she had ever expected when she meets Richard Armitage, too charming for her own good.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Bad Luck

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so firstly I am bad at writing summaries so if you've gotten this far, I'm impressed! this is obviously fiction and I don't own anything or any of the people mentioned except Malory. I'm not going to lie, I have taken liberties with a lot of things to squish her into the movie and therefore make a story around her and if you don't like that then I don't think you'll like this very much. Richard will appear in the second Chapter since the first is a set up. I have a lot of this written up (avoiding university work like the plague) so I'll be posting pretty regular (if people like me too)
> 
> Oh since this is set in early 2011 Richard is 39, turning 40 and Malory is 24, turning 25 so it's a fairly large age gap.

Malory collapsed onto the sofa, feeling a mixture of defeat and hopelessness. It really hadn’t been her day or month, fuck it just hadn’t been her year. She'd lost _another_ job and was beginning to lose count, this time it had been the job at the local bar but two months before it had been waitress at the overpriced Pizza restaurant. It was the same story as always - her heart hadn’t been in it and the manager didn’t see the point in keeping her on if she was going to spend all day daydreaming about being somewhere else. They’d been apologetic and honest so she couldn’t really resent them for it, frankly with the way she’d been acting lately, she’d have fired herself too.

Recently it had been harder than usual to focus and pretend she wanted to be there while she waited for a phone call about an audition. Now the deadline had come and gone without a single message, it seemed to her that this would just be another thing to add to her long list of failures.

It was frustrating, she tried to be modest but was pretty sure she was a talented actress and though the same couldn’t be said for her day job, she always tried hard and put in the effort when it came to auditioning and playing a role, but just couldn’t catch a break. Only ever playing a few small roles that never seemed to lead to big projects.

Huffing angrily she pulled a pillow over her face, crying out in frustration. It was a constant battle not to let it get to her or take it personally but it was difficult going to audition after audition and never getting called back, always knowing “you were good but someone else was better.” And it was hard to motivate herself to do something else when all she wanted to do was act, waiting tables, pulling pints for men who didn’t know when enough was enough. Those things just weren’t what she wanted to do with her life.

The pity party of one was cut short when her phone rang, expecting it to be her Mum geared up and to chew her out for losing another job (“she has such a sixth sense for these things” she thought begrudgingly)

“I’m sorry, I don’t know why I keep doing this.” she whined into the receiver before the person on the other end had a chance to speak.

“Uh, is this Miss Malory Jackson?”

Cringing at her own stupid assumption she sat up and pulled the pillow off her, tossing it to the floor.

“oh shit, uh yes sorry, this is Malory”

“Hi this is Jennifer Stevens, I know this is a bit unexpected but I’m calling about an audition you had a while ago for a role in The Hobbit movies? Well the part you auditioned for was filled but the actress has had to pull out due to family issues so we’re pleased to offer it to you.”

Stunned would be an understatement, she sat staring at the phone open mouthed for a few moments.

“Malory? Are you still there?”

“Uhuh oh my god.” taking a second to collect herself before continuing “I mean of course I’d love to play this role”

“Brilliant, sorry this is so sudden but we’ve had several issues with casting due to people not understand what this sort of filming entails so I really need to make sure you’re aware that this is a substantial role and you will be in New Zealand for a significant amount of time”

“That’s not an issue” What a good day to be sacked, she grinned wildly to herself.

“And they’ll be a few additional weeks of training, it’ll be strenuous”

“I like a challenge.”

Jennifer chuckled “We really do need you here fairly quickly, training is starting beginning of next week so if possible we’d like to book your plane ticket for Friday” That was only two days away. She’d need to get everything sorted in only two days, pack up her entire life and prepare to be in a country halfway around the world for who knows how long?

“Sounds good to me!”

“Great, we’ll be in touch and we’re so looking forward to working with you” Click. Dial tone.


	2. Nerves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A familiar face picks her up at the airport and she meets everyone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm away tomorrow in London for hospital so I figured I'd post this now so I couldn't forget! I'm hoping everyone is enjoying it (let me know if you feel like it? :P) hopefully this isn't boring or anything, it's a bit of a slow build at the moment to set everything up!

The next few days were a blur of tearful phone calls to family members and friends, throwing clothes into a suitcase and getting rid of her possessions too big to take with her. She rented the flat off her uncle and he had no issues with her leaving in such a hurry, living on the outskirts of London meant that there was always a queue of people ready to jump in your figurative grave.

The reality of it all only set in when she boarded the plane, it was as though she’d blinked away a fog that had settled in front of her eyes after she’d gotten the phone call and now the panic was free to set in. Her mind had a bad habit of running away with itself, jumping to the worst thoughts possible; What if they decide they actually didn’t like her for the part, what if she didn’t get on with the other actors (“There were some pretty big names attached to this, if it came to them or me, I don’t stand a chance” she thought glumly) having never lived more than an hour away from family members, this might as well be moving to another planet. Her stomach twisted uneasily and she couldn’t stop herself from shaking a little.

The entire plane ride she was unable to sleep, bad thoughts seeped into her head every time she closed her eyes and it kept pushing her to the edge of tears. She didn’t want this to go wrong, she didn’t think she’d be able to deal with it. Despite all this the plane landed smoothly (She was still unbelievably happy to be down on earth, flying really didn’t agree with her and she stumbled out of the plane door and into the airport, beyond tired and disoriented.

“Malory!” the sound of her name caused her to spin around and her heart soared when she saw a familiar face only a few feet ahead

“Aidan?” The tall Irishman was such a sight for sore eyes, she thought she might just cry.

“God its good ta see ya!” He sprang towards her, hair bouncing around his eyes.

“What are you doing here?!”  Arms automatically flinging out and wrapping around his neck.

“When they told me you’d been cast, I just knew I had to pick you up. It can be daunting, thought ya could do with a friendly face” he pulled back, grinning at her.

The thought of just kissing his precious little face popped into her mind, he had no idea that he’d done it but all doubts had dropped at least momentarily out of her head. ‘If Aidan’s here, then at least that’s one person who I know won’t hate me’ she thought as she followed him to the exit.

“I didn’t even know you’d been cast, I’ve not seen you since I filmed those Being Human episodes.” That had been a fair while ago and it had been barely been more than being an extra but they’d struck up a good friendship

“Yup, I’m Fili… or Kili?” He frowned for a moment before laughing “one of the two, one of Dwarves. A Prince of Erebor” he visibly puffed his chest out and winked at her, his cheerful light heartedness was contagious and Malory found herself laughing along with him.

They arrived outside a small car “Hop in” Aidan said merrily “Since we’re here for so long, a few of us bought cars so we could get around” the car looked … well used to say the least but Malory was never one to turn down a free ride so she gladly climbed in.

“So… is everyone nice?” It sounded so childish when she said it out loud, she was worried he would laugh at her but if Aidan found that funny, he didn’t let it show.

“Oh god yeah, the guys are all brilliant! We’re excited to get training and filming, wait till you see some of the sets! They’re still being set up but they’re bloody brilliant” His enthusiasm was catching because as they drove along Malory found herself bouncing a little in anticipation, trying to imagine it all.

“I guess I’m the last to join? Did you meet the girl I’m replacing?”

Aidan drummed his fingers on the steering wheel watching the road intently “Never met her, don’t think she even made it here. Dean O’Gorman, whose playing… Fili? Well whichever one I’m not, he only got told he had the job last week after the other guy dropped out but he’s been on set since then getting fitted”

This reassured her and as they turned into a large industrial complex, there was only the slightest hint of panic in her system.   
Aidan flashed an ID card to the guard and the doors were opened. It was a pretty uninteresting place to look at, just grey and white buildings, a little trailer park looking section and a couple of office buildings but for Malory is might as well have been Disneyworld.

___

They parked and climbed out of the car, the weather had taken a turn and it was getting chilly so she was eager to get inside, Aidan hurried her along babbling happily about how great the guys were and how she’d love them but she was finding it hard to concentrate on his voice as she noticed they were walking towards a large group of men at the edge of the room.

She recognised a few of them, Lee Pace was the most obvious since he was 6’5” and frankly impossible to miss. When he saw Aidan and Malory he waved and inevitably everyone else in group turned to watch them approach, curiously casting their eyes on her. A little part of her was ready to bolt out of the building, jump the fence and take up living in the New Zealand wilderness. Did New Zealand have wilderness? She didn’t know and she didn’t care, she’d live in a tree if it meant avoiding this situation. This was practically an ambush.

“Hey Aidan” a man with dirty blonde hair stepped forward, and embraced him. “Good drive?” He turned to face a Malory and she felt the heat rush to her face, he was attractive for sure and his accent was adorable. “I’m Dean by the way, it’s good to meet you. Nice not to be the only late comer really” he smiled warmly at her and held out his hand, she shook it and tried to relax.

“Nice to meet you too, I’m Malory. I’m so excited to be here” She thought she sounded stupid, like a kid on the first day of school. She mentally mocked herself ‘Good one Mal, you might as well have pigtails and a plaid skirt’

“It’s insane huh?!” Lee interjected “Can hardly believe my luck, a Peter Jackson film!”

Malory nodded dumbly, Lee Pace was directing a comment towards her and initiating conversation, this was not real life, last week a drunk guy had slapped her arse and she cleared up pint glasses and called her his “serving wench” and now Lee Pace was talking to her.

After the brief exchange, everyone began to mill around the building, discussing their plans for the evening and slowly introducing themselves to her, though she didn’t recognise them all (she later admitted to her friend that when Orlando fucking Bloom shook her hand and welcomed her, she damn near wet herself) and she wasn’t entirely sure she’d be able to remember everyone’s name for a while, they all seemed genuinely happy to meet her, even Martin Freeman who she’d heard was notorious for being a grump had shaken her hand cheerily and told her he was looking forward to working with her (she was 99.9% sure he had never seen a single thing she had been in but that didn’t matter).

She stood by the side of the room, not feeling at all comfortable enough to join in their conversations, feeling a little out of place despite the warm welcome. A deep voice interrupted her thought process.

“Penny for ‘em?” he said lightly. She looked up and met his eye, her stomach flipped and she felt her face turn red as she stared at him. He backed up a little “Sorry to startle you, you just looked lost in your thoughts and I hadn’t introduced myself, I’m Richard, Richard Armitage” he smiled, she blinked and shook her head a little bit to clear her thoughts which consisted mainly of variations of ‘How is it okay to be that good looking?’ and ‘His eyes are so blue I could drown in them and that’s such a cliché that I could just about die’

“It’s okay, I’m just jetlagged and overwhelmed… also Malory, I’m Malory” Her words jumbled a bit and she realised the extent of how tired she was, she blinked furiously to clear the brain haze

He chuckled, it lit up his entire face and it made her heart lurch “Good to meet you Malory, it’s a bit overwhelming at first but you’ll settle in… after a goodnights sleep.”

She nodded, that was definitely what she needed. A small part of her brain, one that only seemed to emerge when she was drunk or tired wondered if it were to presumptuous to ask him to join her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed it. I know a lot happens in a short chapter but at the same time nothing has really happened? Any way, let me know and have a good day!


	3. Hands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Malory get a rude awakening and bumps, quite literally, into an awkward situation.

After the chat died down she walked with everyone to the trailers, though they were planning on grabbing some food and heading out later on so she was sure they were just doing it to be polite and to show her around, it was appreciated

“Trailer 12 is yours” Richard said, he walked closely next to her and pointed it out.

“Thanks” She smiled at him and rubbed the back of her neck, looking out at everyone “I guess I’ll see you all Monday?”

They all nodded and said their goodbyes before heading off in the direction of their cars.

“You be okay?” Aidan asked as he hugged her.

“Sure, I’m probably going to just collapse and sleep for the next day anyway.” She looked at her feet and shifted uncomfortably “Thanks for today Aid, you really helped me feel better about this whole thing”

He rolled his eyes “Don’t be daft, it was my pleasure” He grinned and ruffled her hair a little, he’d done that when they’d been filming Being Human. He teased her mercilessly about being the baby of the set and ruffled her hair to irritate her but now it just seemed more endearing than anything else.

“Have a good sleep, looking forward to seeing what you’ve got at the training session on Monday” Richard was the last to leave.

“Oh I’m sure you’ll all get a few laughs out of it” she rolled her eyes at him.

He chuckled “I’m sure you’ll surprise yourself.”

He turned to leave and Malory felt a pang of sadness, tempted to ask him to stay for a bit to keep her company but she knew that was ridiculous.

The trailer was small but quaint and as she sat on the bed bouncing a little looking around she thought to herself that this wouldn’t be too bad a place to live for a while, and the company wasn’t be too bad either.

***

Sleep came too easily and was disturbed too early, by a loud knocking on her trailer door. She stumbled to the door, disorientated and slightly grumpy at being woken up.

“Good morning” a cheery woman stood at the door, smiling widely at Malory as she opened the door

Malory blinked “huh?” not awake enough for words or to attempt to smile.

“I’m here to take you to your fitting, make-up and hair tests.” She was far too cheerful and Malory could tell she’d been mistaken when she thought she’d have a relaxing weekend before training started.

“’kay, should on clothes put?” Malory frowned, that didn’t sound right, ugh it was too soon after she’d woken up too be coherent.

“No you’re fine as you are, you’ll have to hurry” the woman tugged at her arm and pulled her from the trailer “we’re on a very tight schedule” she groaned as the bright sun hit her eyes, it was at least warm outside but still she liked a good hour of lounging around with coffee before she was expected to do anything after waking up. 

She heard laughter as she was pulled a long, turning her head she saw Aidan and a few of the others standing by their trailers in their PJs

“See you’ve met Sasha then?” Aidan shouted “She doesn’t mess about”

“I’ve got deadlines to meet Aidan Turner, I can’t laze about in my PJs all day like you lot” Sasha shouted angrily back, tugging Malory along faster so she could only manage a wave before she was pulled inside the building and sat on a make-up chair in front of a mirror. Malory recoiled a little at her reflection, god she didn’t look good in the morning – she really hoped Richard hadn’t been in the group outside, though why she cared about that was a mystery to her.

“Okay so we’ve got to get you ready for some character photos but“ Sasha paused and looked momentarily worried as she looked at the back of Malory’s head “you hair is very long and we need to cut it”

This woke her up, she liked her long dark blonde hair “how short exactly?”

“Just about your shoulders”

“You’re kidding?”

“No I’m really sorry no one mentioned it, also we’ll be dyeing it dark brown”

Malory groaned, she’d never dyed her hair even during her ‘goth’ years she couldn’t bring her to do it.

“Right okay let’s get it over with” Sasha nodded and gestured for the hairdresser to come over. Malory closed her eyes for the rest of it.

“So how’re you settling in?” the hairdresser asked

“So far so good” she replied, never very good at small talk.

“I bet it must be weird, being around all these boys! There’s only 2 other main female actresses so it’s a bit of a sausage fest” she laughed and Malory couldn’t help but grin.

“I do feel a bit outnumbered” She admitted.

“But hey, quite a few of them aren’t too bad on the eye. I had Richard Armitage in my chair last week and he really is easy on the eye”

“Oh tell me about it” She agreed vehemently, he’d been on her mind too much in the last 24hrs. She didn’t like it.

“He looks very good for his age as well, you’d never know he was nearly 40”

Malory gulped a little bit, she hadn’t realised he was that much older than her.

After what felt like a lifetime of idle chitchat, the hairdresser (Whose name she had discovered was Marie) told her it was time to open her eyes, she took a deep breath and attempted to ready herself.

“Oh.” Was all she managed to push out, it was like looking at a stranger, instead of her long dark blonde hair hanging well below her chest now short very dark brown hair was along her neckline in an almost bob like hairstyle. The dark hair made her blue eyes look brighter but the circles under them darker, her skin paler but it seemed to show more blemishes and the shortness gave her a more defined jaw line. She honestly didn’t know if she loved it or hate it.

“It’s a big difference but it really suits you”

“Okay now that`s done we need to get you in the clothes and have some photos taken”

The day seemed to drag as she pulled on outfit after outfit and had photos of each outfit taken from every angle possible it seemed and they definitely weren’t comfortable, she had no idea how she’d be able to film for hours in these things.

“Okay!” Sasha exclaimed “We’re all done”

Malory let out a sigh “Finally.” She needed fresh air and lots of coffee. She said goodbye and thanked the team that had helped her, they’d all been so friendly and nice that it made her really start to feel like a member of this cast. It was all beginning to be real.

Walking out of the building, she walked straight into someone’s chest and bounced off straight onto the floor, her head hitting the concrete with a sickening thud.

“Ouch, shit!” She cried out.

“Malory? God I am so sorry” Richard was leaning over her, concern written on his face “I wasn’t looking where I was going” He grasped her hand tightly and pulled her up. She immediately felt dizzy and stumbled a little, he grabbed her hips to steady her.

“Uh, it’s okay. No permanent damage I’m sure” She tried to lighten the situation but his expression didn’t change, and he didn’t remove his hands from her waist.

“You hit the floor very hard, maybe we should call someone?”

She shook her head, the last thing she needed was to cause a fuss on her second day here. “No I’ll be fine” she was all too aware of the heat of his hands against her.

He frowned but dropped it, clearly seeing that Malory wouldn’t budge “Well I was coming to find you anyway, we’re all going out for a drink and thought you’d like to join us”

“Oh okay, well I need to get changed but that would be great. I could use a drink”

Richard dropped his hands from her waist hastily, as if only just realising they were still there. “Okay then well…” he coughed and looked away awkwardly, “we’ll meet you by the main exit” he walked off hurried and Malory found herself frowning at the back of his head and unable to shake off the feel of his hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay this is quite long, I know it's still not very interesting but I'm building to it I promise! I hope you're all enjoying it so far, let me know what you think and stuff :)


	4. Bitter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Malory goes out for a drink with the guys, it leaves her feeling more than unusual.

It was unusual for Malory to spend more than 10 minutes picking an outfit but as she stood in front of her bed in the trailer, clothes strewn around the room as though the suitcase had exploded, she thought that on this occasion, it might take a while.

A dress might look too showy, as though she was trying too hard but jeans and a top would look unflattering. The weather was unpredictable at best so there was no point dressing for how it was at the moment. She hated herself when she got like this, over thinking to the point of insanity and especially when she knew full well that none of them would pay a blind bit of notice even if she went out in a bin bag and flippers but that didn’t stop her from wanting to make an effort, to impress them... maybe show off a little. She was going to spend the next few weeks probably looking her absolute worst, so why couldn’t she try and look her best now.

In the end the chosen outfit was a dark blue floral dress with black tights and a long black cardigan, as she left the trailer and before she got a chance to overthink her decision she saw Aidan jogging towards her with a grin.

“There ya are! We was all getting a bit worried about ya.” He said, breathing heavily from his run “I like ya hair by the way, suits you.”

“Sorry, I had a wardrobe problem” she gestured to her outfit and grimace a little, maybe jeans would have been a better choice?

“You look lovely, now hurry up we’re all gagging for a drink.” They hurriedly walked towards the main gate, Aidan had a hold of her hand and was pulling her a long so she kept up with his pace. As they approached the others, she saw Richard look over to them, smiling a little until his eyes fell to her and Aidan’s hands still together and then a small frown appeared. She quickly pulled her hand away.

When they arrived at the pub after a short walk, everyone was in high spirits and discussing their excitement for the start of training. Malory had been talking to James and Adam about learning to use swords and other weapons, she had no experience in that area except in drama lessons with wooden or foam, and this would be the real thing.

“So you’ve not acted too much then?” James asked

She shook her head “Small parts here and there, nothing at all serious. Up until last week I was working in a bar”

They all sat down at a large table, a few of them nodded their head towards the guy behind the bar making it clear they were here often. Richard sat across from her, distracting her for a moment. He was well dressed, in a simple pair of jeans with a button up shirt and jacket, his face showing the beginning stages of a beard and his hair a little unkempt. She honestly thought that she’d never before found anyone quite as attractive as she found Richard right then.

The conversation continued for a while between her and Adam, swapping stories of bad jobs and worse auditions, she felt reassured knowing that she was on the same wavelength as at least a few other people here, having never been in a movie before.

“You’re still young, your career could really take off after this movie” Adam said

“On that note, just how young are you” It was Graham asking this, a tall, quite intimidating looking scot who from the character shots she’d seen, played an equally intimidating dwarf.

“Oh uh 24” There were a few raised eyebrows and she watched from the corner of her eye Richard pickup his drink and take two large consecutive gulps from it. “It’s not that young” she emphasized but sure she was just sounding more childish.

“Well you’re the youngest of the company” James pointed out “In fact more than a few of us could be the same age as ya dad!” she frowned a little thinking about it and decided to go up to the bar and get herself a drink, a very strong and very large drink.

She walked back to the table with a pint of the local bitter, Aidan raised his eyebrow as she walked past him.

“Is that a good idea?” he asked with a small smirk.

“Of course it is Aidan Turner, you know I never have bad ideas”

With a roll of his eyes he went back to his conversation with Dean and she continued back to her seat, sipping her drink slowly. It really was quite an awful taste but she always got tipsy quickly with bitter and right now that sounded wonderful.

“Really? That’s your drink of choice” Richard said to her as she sat down “I had you pegged as a vodka and tonic sort of girl” he was smiling at her but his eyes looked troubled.

“It’s more of a means to an end to be honest with you” she took a large gulp, shivering as she swallowed it. It made her stomach churn uneasily reminding her she hadn’t eaten anything since lunch.

“You’re trying to get drunk, have we pushed you towards alcoholism already?”

“Something like that” another gulp, another shiver but her head was swimming and she felt less tense so at least she knew it was starting to work.

It wasn’t as though they’d intended to make her feel bad, or even upset her. She couldn’t place why the comment had made her feel so unhappy because they’d been nothing more than pointing out the obvious. Sure she found one of the guys attractive and Yes he was much older than her but she couldn’t have honestly expected anything to happen, she’d been here a day and they’d exchanged only a handful of words. She was being the epitome of ridiculous and she damn well knew it. Drinking some more she frowned at her reflection in the glass.

She remained sullen for the rest of the night, trying to be peppy and cheerful when people spoke to her but reverting into herself when the conversation ended, she studiously avoided looking at Richard but that was incredibly difficult to do, he had a way of drawing her eyes to him. The bastard she thought angrily, she might just have been a little drunk.

As the landlord called last orders, everyone downed the remainder of their drinks and got ready to leave. She followed behind, ready for her bed and for a clear head in the morning. It was probably around late afternoon back at home, maybe she’d give them a call before she crashed.

“Are you okay” She looked up from her feet and saw Richard, she was momentarily irrationally angry at him for disturbing her peace but that quickly melted away as she saw he looked concerned.

“Mmm” the noise was noncommittal but he seemed to understand that she didn’t feel like talking, still he stayed beside her for the rest of the walk, keeping the same pace and occasionally humming. It wasn’t long before everyone had split up and walked off to their separate trailers.

“I’ll walk you to yours” Richard announced as they passed his trailer

“You don’t have to do that”

“I know that, but I’d like to.”

When they arrived outside her trailer, she turned to him “Thanks for walking me back” despite it being totally unnecessary she added in her head “I guess I’ll see you around tomorrow or at training Monday”

He didn’t respond, instead just stared intently at her with a small thinking frown on his face until he reached his hand out to caress her cheek, running his thumb along her jawline. It sent a tingle through her body and she shivered.

He pulled his hand back “I’m sorry I shouldn’t have done that, I should know better”

“I… it’s…okay” she stuttered out, not sure of the correct response and wanting to say something that would make him do it again.

“You just look so gorgeous tonight.” He almost seemed to be talking to himself.

“Come in for coffee” she blurted out, snapping him out of the trance and making him shake his head.

“I couldn’t do that, I have an early morning and you’re a little bit drunk”

She shook her head “you’re very confusing”

“I could say the same to you, you turn up yesterday with your bright eyes and pretty smile and now I can’t get you out of my head” he grimaces, and rubs his face, he looked tired. “I’ll see you tomorrow Malory” and with that he walks away leaving Malory with more questions than answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, I hope this is okay? I am feeling out of sorts with my writing recently, I'm aware I am not brilliant and that's okay. I'm mostly writing for myself because I haven't done it in a while and I missed it, the fact that no-ones complained yet is impressive haha but still, I just hope people are enjoying it despite it not being fantastic, I'm building to some more interesting things in the next few chapters so bear with me. 
> 
> Hope everyone is having/had a nice weekend, I'm avoiding a lab report so hopefully I'll get the next chapter up soon :)


	5. Calm yourself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Malory gets some good advice and goes out for a jog.

Malory splashed cold water on her face in an attempted to wash away the confused feeling in her head, she kept thinking about what Richard had said and now she couldn’t sleep. It was well passed 2am before she could even think about crawling into bed, and that was only because she’d paced around her trailer so much she felt dizzy.

Her sleep was broken and uneasy, bad dreams woke her every half an hour, mostly dreams about her friends and family and though she couldn’t remember exactly what had happened in them each time she woke feeling sad and missing them. Grabbing her phone off the nightstand she quickly googled the time difference, she was 13 hours ahead of them which meant it was only later afternoon, a totally acceptable time to give someone a call.

She decided against calling her Mum, who would immediately be able to tell she was upset and worry herself into a frenzy so she opted for her older sister.

“’Sup long time no speak” her sister teased immediately as she answered the phone “How’s the other side of the planet?”

Malory groaned in response “I am making a mess of myself”

She could hear her nephew gurgling away in the background “what’s happened?” all humour out of her sisters voice, replaced by the tone of authority she had grown up with, so she explained what was on her mind and by the end her sister was laughing.

“God you are so dramatic! No wonder you’re an actress”

Malory huffed but a small smile crept up on her lips

“Listen Mal, you’ve been there 36hrs, you’ve got a crush and maybe it’s mutual but seriously, take a chill pill. You always manage to work yourself up about these things and get yourself in a right state so you know, relax. Maybe just try and be his friend first before you make any sort of decision. Calm yourself girl!”

They spend the rest of the call laughing and chatting about old times, by the time they said goodbye Malory was in a brighter mood but still not tired, so she pulled on her baggy jogging bottoms and a tank top with a jacket and went out for a bit of a run, the sun was just starting to rise and everything was tinted pink and purple. After a couple of laps around the buildings she slowed down to a walk, catching sight of someone sitting outside their trailer with what looked like a cigarette in their hand. As she got closer, she saw it was Richard.

“That’s really not good for your health” She remarked as she approached him, he jumped a little at the sound of her voice and dropped the cigarette.

“I only do it when I’m particularly stressed” he stood up as she reached the steps, he was in a well-worn white top and boxers. Malory kept her eyes strictly on his face.

“Well there are better ways of relieving stress… like talking about it?” she walked up the steps, with an eyebrow raised he let her in and followed behind.

She was a little bit shocked, imaging his place to be pristine and well-kept but instead it was… well messy might be an understatement.

“This place is a tip” she exclaimed in horror, looking around at the empty wine bottles and dirty clothes strewn everywhere “have you tidied up since you got here?”

He rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged “I’ve had more important things to do!” he sounded defensive.

She grabbed his bin (ironically that was totally empty) and began to throw the rubbish scattered about into it,

“You don’t need to do that, I’m more than capable” he started but she cut him off

“I don’t mind, I enjoy cleaning actually. It was my chore when I lived at home. A house with 7 kids could get messy if there wasn’t someone willing to tidy it daily”

“You have 6 siblings?” He asked, watching her as she moved around the room. He had to admit, it was starting to look better already

“Mhmm, sometimes more” picking up a pair of his dirty boxers she pulled a face at him and threw them at his head “make a pile for your dirty washing. My mum is a foster carer, some were long stayers like me but others were only at the house for a few weeks”

Richard remained quiet while she flitted about, unsure of what to say.

Within 10 minutes she had made a drastic improvement, she turned to him and grinned “much better, my mum always says ‘a tidy home equals a tidy mind’”

“Your mother is a smart woman” he sat on his freshly cleared sofa “Thank you, really”

Malory threw herself down next to him and shrugged. “You’ve perked up since last night” He commented

“I spoke to my older sister and she gave me some good advice.”

“And what was that?”

“Basically – stop taking everything so seriously” she laughed “and don’t work myself up over little things”

“Your family seems to be a goldmine of good advice”

“So…” she turned herself to face him, “what’s bugging you?”

He looked at her intently for a moment, seemingly examining her face and taking in her features then he sighed and pushed himself back into the sofa, running a hand through his hair “it’s just been a hell of a couple of weeks, lots of things to learn. I’m not complaining mind you, but it’s been a learning curve and now I’m… I’m wondering if I’m the right person for this role”

She frowned at him “oh you’re just as bad as I am! Dramatic and brooding, of course you’re right for the role, you wouldn’t have it otherwise and besides we haven’t even started training yet. How could you possibly know?”

He couldn’t help but laugh “you’re an odd one, I can’t wait to get to work with you”

They spent the next few hours chatting, Richard told her about his family life, previous work and how he’d gotten the role. She didn't remember falling asleep but when she woke up her head was resting on his shoulder and his arm around her back and waist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter, I've been really putting off my uni work that's due in soon so oooops  
> hope it's okay otherwise! really nice to hear from your guys who are enjoying it, it makes me happy :)


	6. Training

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Training begins and Malory ends up on her arse.

It was definitely morning, if not later when she lifted her head up off Richard’s chest, the sun was bright and warm shining through the small windows of the trailer. As she attempted to wriggle his arm off her he stirred, groaning a little and pulling her back against him. 

“Richard” she whispered, against his chest “I really need the bathroom”

“10 more minutes” he mumbled sleepily, hand gripping her a little. It sent a tingle down her spine but she really needed to toilet, so she grabbed his hand and carefully prised it off her so she could slip free and use the bathroom. When she returned she saw Richard rubbing his eyes, her heart hammered unevenly, he looked so adorable (how was it fair that a nearly 40 year old man could look adorable) but she remembered her sister’s advice ‘be his friend first’ and steadied herself as she went back to sit next to him.

“When did we fall asleep and what time is it?” he asked, voice thick with sleep. 

“No idea and no idea” she yawned, stretching herself out, she let out a little whimper as her back cracked. Sleeping sitting up had not been a good idea, she was too achy and still tired. “You should make me a coffee, what sort of host are you?” another yawn.

“Demanding thing aren’t you? I let you use me as a glorified pillow, where’s my thanks?” despite his protest he stood up and walked to the kitchen.

“Splash of milk, one sugar” Malory called out to him grinning. 

He brought it out to her a few minutes later, putting it on his coffee table “it’s hot be careful” 

“I’m 24, not 4” she retorted, sipping it slowly.

“Still, that is very young” He said, mostly to himself “and I’m sure people would have something to say if they saw you leaving my trailer with me waving you off in my boxers”

Malory choked on her coffee as she laughed, he slapped her on the back a few times until she could breathe normally again.

“Maybe you should put on some trousers then, if you’re worried what people will think? Honestly you’re such a tease!” 

Before Richard got a chance to reply, his phone rang.

“Hello, okay alright, I’ll be over in a bit” 

“Well as much as I’d love to stay and tease you some more, work calls”

“I should probably go have a shower and get some food anyway” she stands up and stretches out. “Thanks for being a comfy pillow and stay away from the cigarettes!” she adds quickly, pointing a finger at him.

“Yes sir!” he mocked as she was walking towards the door but his expression was soft and he quickly closed the distance between them to run his fingers through her hair “It’s a little bit messy, don’t want people getting the wrong idea” he murmured, lips close to her ear.

God this guy went from 0 to 10 In four steps, she thought hazily.

“I’ll see you later Richard” she breathed as she stepped out the trailer.

On her way back to her trailer all she could think about was showering, shoving food in her mouth and how nice it would be to fall asleep on Richard again. She did the first two things but couldn’t get her mind off the last, grabbing her character bio to distract her.

***

Monday morning came too quickly for her liking, she was a bundle of nerves as she pulled on her tank top and yoga trousers.

When she arrived at the training hall, everyone was already there in their gym clothes and looking excited, they all shouted their welcomes as she walked to join them so she couldn’t help but grin. 

The instructor turned up and the chaos begun, Malory had assumed that it would be difficult and probably uncomfortable but by the end of the first half she was aching in places she didn’t even know existed and was exhausted to the point of tears. During the second half she managed to smack herself hard in the face with fake sword she’d been swinging about too zealously and hit the floor hard, there was a lot of laughter and she felt the blood rush to her face in total embarrassment.

“Up ya get” Jack, the instructor said as he offered her his hand. She begrudgingly took it and brushed herself off.

“Here you go” Richard handed her the sword back, she nodded in appreciation still feeling far too embarrassed to look him in the eye.

The started up again, practising swings and the footwork but Malory kept slipping up, missing steps and stumbling.

“fuck” she hissed each time, determined but again and again she would wind up on her arse. By the end she was so frustrated by herself that she threw her sword in the corner and stormed out without even a glance backwards because she just knew they’d be having a good laugh at her expense. Jumping immediately in the shower when she got back to the trailer, she sobbed a little. It was a default thing to do when she got frustrated and her family had always teased her for it. The thought of her family made her grab her phone. 

1 text message – received today, 7:20am

Hi babe, think its morning where you are. Hope today goes well! :) You can do it, show them guys who’s the boss. We miss you XXXXXXXX CALL ME AGAIN SOON! 

There was an image attached, Malory downloaded it and smiled as soon as it appeared on her cream. It was her sister and 2 year old nephew in their pjs, pulling funny faces at the camera. She made it her background image and dried her hair, thankful for the first time that it was so much shorter because it was so much simpler to deal with after washing. 

Dinner and bed were her only plans for the evening, with a little Netflix thrown in since she couldn’t face seeing people again today. Even tomorrow felt too soon, some of the other guys had struggled but they’d all managed to improve by the end of the session but she’d still been hopeless. It was already tough to be the only girl in the company, let alone the only one who couldn’t handle a weapon.

A knock on the door interrupted her plan and she unwillingly opened the door to reveal Richard standing with arms crossed and eyebrows raised.

“What was it you called me?” he stepped in without waiting for her to say a word “dramatic and brooding?”

The smugness was written all over his face, Malory could only roll her eyes “if you’re here to tease me, then get it over with and leave. I’m not in the mood!”

“I could tell by the way you stormed off like a petulant child” 

“Did you just go come over to be mean?” A pout had appeared on her face and when Richard saw, he groaned.

“No I came over here to see if you were okay”

“I’m fine, just...” She paused before admitting “I thought it would go better, I thought I’d be better” 

He embraced her suddenly, pulling her tight against his chest. 

They stood silently for a while like that, she relaxed into him.

“It’s the first day, don’t write yourself off.” He said softly as he pulled away. “A few of us are heading to the pub again, you should come along.”

She shook her head “Nah I’ve got a date with Netflix” 

“Ah well, lucky Netflix” he headed to the door “if you need me, you know where I am”

“You could stay?” She hastily added “Watch a movie, if you’d like?”

He hesitated for a moment before answering “Sounds lovely but I promised the others so it’ll have to be a rain check I’m afraid”

She nodded and watched as he left, ready for her evening alone to prepare for the nightmare that would be the rest of the week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been horribly busy this week so this short and a bit boring, I've got the next two weeks off so more time to actually write decently :) Hope you like it regardless and have a good weekend. Comment and all that, I welcome ideas and stuff ;D I feel like I'm dragging it out a bit? so might speed things up in the next chapter.


	7. Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Malory gets a harsh truth from her sister that forces her to focus. Then she gets a bit drunk.

Early next morning Malory picked up her phone and rang her older sister, not expecting a sympathetic ear but more the hard truth. She’d always been good at taking Malory down a peg especially when she’d been a highly strung teenager and now would be no different.

“For fuck’s sake Mal” Her sister had groaned in frustration after Malory had told her about yesterday “Grow the fuck up! That is beyond ridiculous, how do you expect these people to take you seriously when you’re throwing tantrums like a 4 year old?”

“I was upset!” She knew her defence was weak at best.

“So you take a breath, laugh it off, have a glass of water then stay late and practise more. You don’t throw a hissy fit on the first day. I’m surprised they didn’t throw you out then and there and I’m even   
more surprised that Richard came to see you after. I wouldn’t have and I’m RELATED to you!”

She knew her sister was right, she had a terrible way of always being right (she guessed it was something that came with parenthood) and she knew that if she did anything like that again, she could say goodbye to this job and probably every other once word got around that she was an arse ache to work with. 

“I don’t want to be harsh Mal, I don’t enjoy it but I know this is your dream and I refuse to mollycoddle you if it means letting you and your tendency to create drama ruin this. Stop being a drama queen and act your age”

There wasn’t much to say after that, they said their goodbye and she left her trailer for training with her sister’s words ringing in her ears.

The guys greeted her as she entered the training hall and she sheepishly but sincerely apologised for her behaviour.

“Don’t worry about it Lass, just keep your temper about you and learn from it” Graham said, giving her a little pat on the back. They all nodded and by the time the instructor arrived, everyone was laughing and teasing her. 

Once again she didn’t get the best start but Malory remained calm each time she fumbled and took her time. It was easy to get frustrated when her feet didn’t move fast enough, even easier to lose her temper when she stumbled over her own feet and fell face down but she took a breath, stood up and carried on. 

“Good work Mal!” Aidan shouted at her from across the room as she successfully swung her sword, spun around and brought it down on the doll in front of her without tripping, dropping her sword or smacking herself in the face. There were more loud shouts of congratulations from the others. Richard who was standing closest gave her a small smile that clearly said “I told you so”. They were all being a little over the top, Malory thought but it didn’t stop her from grinning.

Each day she improved a little, focused and set herself small and simple goals in the morning to meet by the end of the day. By the time Friday rolled around there had been enough improvement that she could barely believe it, she didn’t think she was on par with all of the guys yet but she was catching up. The downside was that she’d put so much time in that she hadn’t done much else but train. Finishing practise in the afternoon only to have dinner and head back in in the evening by herself to work on whatever she felt she was weakest at. She was reaching a new level of exhaustion and social isolation, so when Aidan and Dean walked her back to her trailer that afternoon and asked her to join them with a few of the others for a ‘End of the first week of training’ drink (these guys would find any reason to have a pint, she thought) she just couldn’t say No.

She’d only had a little contact with Richard over the last few days, they’d greet each other in the morning, chat a little during lunch and then wave goodbye at the end of their sessions. She’d been focusing on her improvement and reining in her drama and he’d finalised his rent agreement for a little flat down the road from the set and had moved his stuff there so he wasn’t around as much but he was out tonight and Malory couldn’t deny that she was excited to be around him again, in a setting where she wouldn’t be covered in sweat and brandishing a sword since those things really impacted her game.

It didn’t take her long to be ready and out of the trailer, it was a brisk evening so she’d pulled on her best black jeans and grey tank top with a cardigan. Aidan, Dean and Adam met her at the gate and they all walked together towards the local though it wasn’t too far she was still glad she’d opted against wearing heels.  
When they arrived, they were a few drinks behind the others and everyone made sure they caught up by ordering them each a couple of shots, she grimaced at Aidan who laughed as he tipped he head back and poured the clear liquid down his throat. She followed suit. 

She leant against the bar and looked out at the crowd of people, unable to see Richard as of yet. 

“Another?” Dean asked as he stood next to her, ready to order.

“Vodka and orange juice, if you don’t mind” 

He nodded and ordered “looking for anyone In particular?” he asked as he handed her the drink, she shrugged and took a sip, he’d definitely ordered her a double vodka.

“Richard will be here in a bit, he’s running late” Dean continued, giving her a look that made her sigh

“I’m that obvious?”

“Well... yeah a little bit” he grinned “it quite cute really, we’ve got bets on how long it’ll take you two to sort it out” 

She took a big sip and mock glared at him. He burst out laughing, threw his arm around her shoulders and rubbed her arm comfortingly “Don’t worry, we’re all sure it won’t be long”

They moved to sit with Adam, Graham and Lee, who were excitedly discussing filming locations.  
***  
They’d been sitting in the pub for almost an hour before Richard walked in, Dean nudged her and nodded his head so she’d take notice, she attempted scowled at him but a smile crept onto her lips despite herself but that could also have something to do with the amount of alcohol she’d consumed.

“Sorry about my late arrival, I had some things that needed doing in my flat. Next round is on me” He called.

“I think you just like to make a big entrance” Martin called back “but I won’t refuse the free pint” everyone laughed and Richard walked around taking orders, when he reached Malory’s table she smiled   
up at him as he stood next to her chair.

“Vodka and orange juice, please” she asked after everyone else had made their requests

“There’s going to be a lot of drinks, Malory why don’t you go help him carry them?” Dean suggested with a wicked grin.

“Great idea” Richard smiled at her and she stood up to follow him to the bar, she could hear Adam and Aidan whisper angrily at Dean

“You can do that, it’s cheating!”

“How is it??”

She rolled her eyes at them and caught up with Richard

“Hope moving hasn’t been too much of a hassle” She said, feeling more confident than usual. 

“It’s not been too terrible, just had to move some things out of storage today and it took longer than expected”

“I was beginning to think you weren’t going to show up”

Richard listed off all the drink orders to the bartender who frowned before setting off to make them all “Good memory” Malory noted

“Thank you” He turned to face her “So you missed me?” his expression was a little smug 

“Hmm something like that” she stared at him for a moment before grabbing the first drinks.

Even with the two of them, it still took two trips to hand everyone their drinks and sit down with their own in hand with Aidan and the others. 

“Cheers mate” Aidan said tipping his drink towards Richard, it sloshed and spilled a little. He was clearly on his way to being hammered.

Malory sipped her drink, knowing she probably should have just asked for water instead because she lose the ability to think straight and kept losing her train of thought. She was hyper aware of Richard sitting next to her, feeling the heat radiating off him. He was in what seemed to her to be his favourite outfit, jeans and a t-shirt with his faded black leather jacket but she couldn't deny that he looked good in it. 

She called it quits after two more drinks, having reached a level of drunk that was pleasantly numb and hadn’t pushed her into the realm of overemotional. She couldn’t quite remember when it had happened, probably between Aidan spilling an entire pint down Dean and Dean retaliating by tipping the remainder of his beer over Aidan’s head, but she was leaning her head on Richard shoulder and his hand had rested on her thigh. Had she been sober, she might have over thought this but instead she just found it comforting.

“Last orders!” The landlord shouted, a majority of the group groaned but Malory could tell that a few others (including herself) were pleased that it would be ending on a high note and not with someone throwing up on another.

As they filed out of the pub, Malory stood close to Richard who himself was definitely not sober. 

“I’ll walk with you all back to the complex then get a taxi” He said to her as they all headed down the street, she nodded in response worried that if she spoke her words would slur or worse, she’d overshare. The wind was brisk and though the alcohol dulled the feeling, it didn’t stop her from shivering. Richard noticed and removed his jacket, slinging it over her shoulders. It was beautifully warm.

“Plans for the weekend?” Richard asked

“Sleeping mostly, and then when I’m not sleeping, eating” She said, he laughed

“That sounds ideal to me, maybe you should come over to my flat and I’ll make you a nice meal”

“I like that idea, it means free food and you” She said hazily. He didn’t respond but Malory saw a large smile on his face.

Once they’d reached the complex, everyone called out their drunken goodbyes and headed off in different directions. Malory watched them for a moment while Richard called himself a taxi.

“They’ll figure out soon enough that not one of them is going towards the trailers” She said as he hung up the phone.

“I honestly doubt it.” He shivered a little and Malory felt guilty for hogging his jacket “You should head off, it’s freezing out here. The taxi won’t be more than a few minutes, its station is around the corner”

“Still… I think I’ll wait till it arrives”

“Making sure I get home safely?” he raised an eyebrow, Malory wonders at his face a little - for someone seemingly stoic, she thought his face was very expressive.

“Just ensuring that nothing bad happens so I get my meal Sunday, if I’m honest” He gave a short laugh and before she knew what was happening she felt his lips press against hers, it was a brief but urgent kiss that left her whole body tingling. Richards’s hand pressed against her cheek before he pulled away, pupils blown. Malory unashamedly whined a little (this was definitely the alcohol) hands reaching for his top to pull him back to her. 

“I’ll see you Sunday” He murmured as his taxi arrived.

“Your jacket??” She called out aimlessly, arms falling to her side.

He waved his hand dismissively as he opened the car door and ducked in.

Turning around to walk to her trailer, Malory touched her lip for a second and wondered if that had even actually happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little bit longer than the last chapter and hopefully better? I resolved to make Malory less annoying so I hope that's coming across :) The worst part about writing is now I have another thing to put me off doing my spring clean, being an adult is truly terrible. I don't recommend it.   
> Have a good weekend! I love any comments and stuff so feel free ;D


	8. Alone Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's date night and they're both shaking in their boots... well

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops been a while, hopefully you enjoy this chapter and it makes up for my absence :) it's short (sorry) fillery and sopey mostly to make up for the lack of updates so the story will get going soon but for now enjoy this fluff

Richard woke up with a headache and bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, sitting up and rubbing his face he attempted to rub away the feeling that a little bit too much alcohol had left him with.   
He should know better that was for sure but the last week had seen him lose his composure more than once and frankly that frightened him a little. The cause was obvious though he hated to admit it to himself, Malory. She was constantly in his head and every time he saw her he wanted to be near her - it was a big problem. 

Relationships weren’t his strong point and very rarely had he met anyone that he wanted to be with, live with, share memories with. But Malory… the day she turned up and he’d seen her standing quietly in the corner, looking effortlessly beautiful despite being on a plane for over 12 hours - he’d felt something … an urge to never leave her side, to know exactly what was going on in her head. It was beyond uncomfortable for him to feel this out of control of his emotions and when he thought of how old she was, god she was so young that he felt disgust at himself whenever the thought of her writhing in pleasure beneath him, his name on her lips, crossed his mind (and it was all too often). There were too many negatives for him to pursue her but it didn’t seem to be stopping him, he couldn’t avoid her and he didn’t really want to.

A few of the guys had cottoned on quickly, Richard wasn’t really subtle about it and his nonstop questioning of Aidan about her had caused the Irish lad to roll his eyes “Ask her your bloody self” He`d said “Here, this is her number. Text her or something!” taking Richard’s phone he’d put in her number and walked off to meet Dean. Richard hadn’t had the guts to text her just yet but as the sun lit up his room and he ran a hand through his hair, he thought that now was a good a time as any.

‘Hi, It’s Rich – Aidan gave me your # hope u don’t mind. Still want dinner? XX’

He sent it before it could be over analysed, tossed his phone on the bed and ran himself a cold shower.

His phone was flashing when he came out of the bathroom

‘Hey! No I don’t mind at all  how’re you this morning? Yeah dinner would be great xx’

‘Achy but OK, what about u? brilliant does 6 sound good? XX’

‘Awwww poor you  I’m fine but still tired, six sounds good me I’m v excited  xx’

Richard grinned at the screen, feeling somewhat like a love struck kid. They texted back and forth during the day whilst Richard busied himself making sure his flat didn’t look quite so much like a   
bomb had hit it, not that he thought Malory would mind but he was taking her advice. It was therapeutic.

‘What should I wear? Will you turn me away at the door if I’m wearing jeans? xx’

‘No dress code here, wear whatever you feel comfy in XX’

‘Pyjama’s it is ;) haha I’m getting dressed and then I’ll be leaving, see you soon!  xxx’

He surveyed the flat, everywhere looked tidied and the oven was on low heat. He was ready for this… probably.

Malory sat in the taxi, heart racing a little as it travelled along the New Zealand roads towards Richard’s. She’d spent her day in her little trailer, excitedly prancing about as she texted him and waiting for a reply. Then browsed the internet for a while, updating profiles and checking to see if she’d been noticed as the newest member of the cast (hoping that no embarrassing photos had been leaked) but all was quiet except a few tweets from friends asking her how things were going. 

They pulled up to a block of flats, she paid the driver and hurried out. He buzzed her in as soon as she rang the bell, his deep voice coming out of the intercom “see you in a few” made her stomach flip.

When he opened the door she was floored by the feeling of pure lust that rushed through her body - his dark hair pulling off the carelessly messy look, the way he held himself as he looked at her as she stood in front of her just made her ache.

“You look lovely” He couldn’t help but stare, she had opted for a dark blue with white polka dots dress that cut off at the shoulders and dipped around her neck revealing her collar bones and a small silver necklace pressed against her throat.

“Thank you” she could feel her face redden as she stepped over the threshold, walking to the front room “Your place looks nice” 

“It’s not quite home yet, still got the finishing touches to go but it’s better than a trailer that’s for sure” He rubbed the back of his neck nervously, watching her intently as she gazed around the room. 

Malory’s eyes lingered on some of the photos resting on the floor, waiting to be hung up. “No way, is this you!?” She knelt down, Richard laughed. “Oh god, you found it. Yeah that was me at my uni graduation”

“Gosh you were adorable… I mean you’re still adorable but…you know babyish and adorable…” she trailed off, looking up at him as he moved to stand behind her.

“Adorable? I’m not sure that’s a word I’d attach to myself” He offered her his hand and pulled her off the ground. 

“No you’re definitely adorable, rugged but adorable” she was still holding his hand - their eyes locked for a moment and before either of them had made the conscious decision, their lips met.  
Unlike their kiss from the night before, there was nothing brief about this one. Both of them were savouring each other. Richard’s hands grabbed her waist and pulled her as close as he could so she was all he could feel against him.

“Dinner will be ready soon” he murmured, pulling away from her albeit begrudgingly. She laughed breathily. “I can’t say I’m too hungry now” she pressed a kiss on his neck and she felt his grip on her hips tighten, she pressed another on his jaw line and then once more against his lips. 

“You’ll be the death of me” he groaned, pulling her over to the sofa. “Sit, while I dish up dinner” before a complaint could pass her lips, he brought his mouth to her ear and whispered “After dinner, I promise” she rolled her eyes but remained silent.

He walked to the kitchen and splashed a little cold water over his face. He hadn’t intended for this evening to go this way, but they were in too deep and now all they could do is see where it took them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good? Bad?? I don't know guys, I hope you like it though and I'll be back with more updates soooon (promise!)


	9. UPDATE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so basically I've attempted to write the next chapter about 100 times and I just can't seem to get anything to sound right and I keep reading it back and the more I do, the more I hate my writing style and the storyline and basically the whole soooo I think I'm going to leave this here for a while. I've got some other RA/OFC ideas that I might play around with, I'm so sorry :( I really will continue trying to write it though, even if that means a re-write ;P

read the note ^^

**Author's Note:**

> Eek okay slow start, next chapter will be so much better. I promise!


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